Clamp

ABSTRACT

A clamp having discs carried at opposed ends of a foldable connecting strap, one of said discs carrying a projecting pointed penetrating shaft, the other of said discs carrying a shaft receiving sleeve, and interengaging means between the shaft and sleeve to secure the opposed discs in folded clamping position.

United States Patent [191 White [451 May 1, 1973 CLAMP [76] Inventor: Robert L. White, 15th Michigan Bldg. B-l No. 8, Joplin, Mo.

[22] Filed: July 8, 1971 [21] App1.No.: 160,705

[52] US. Cl. .,..24/156, 24/208 A, 24/150 FP [51] Int. Cl. ..A44b 9/10, A441: 17/00 [58] Field of Search ..24/208 A, 16 PB,

24/237, 212, 217, 150 R, 150 PP, 156, 153 R, 153 U, 153.1, 157 R; 40/22, 24, 20, 21

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,937,834 5/1960 Orenick ..24/216 2,548,104 4/1951 Frison 3,210,820 10/1965 Humiston 3,466,077 9/1969 Moberg ..24/16 PB 3,481,528 12/1969 Leiter ..229/52 3,600,027 8/ 1971 Noland ..24/ 16 PB FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 546,770 8/1956 Italy ..24/208 A 1,264,553 5/1961 France ....24/l6 PB 1,436,187 12/1968 Germany ....24/16 PB 1,024,220 3/1966 Great Britain ..24/208 A Primary ExaminerBemard A. Gelak Attorney-J. 0. Martin et a1.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A clamp having discs carried at opposed ends of a foldable connecting strap, one of said discs carrying a projecting pointed penetrating shaft, the other of said discs carrying a shaft receiving sleeve, and interengaging means between the shaft and sleeve to secure the opposed discs in folded clamping position.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented May 1, 1973 3,729,780

F/G. FIG 2.

I INVENT OR ROBERT L. WHITE CLAMP This invention relates to improvements in clamps and is concerned more particularly with clamps of the flexible or folding type.

The general object of the invention is to provide a clamp of simplified construction which is adaptable for a great variety of uses as either a permanent attachment or a temporary fastener capable of multiple reuse.

A more particular object is to provide a clamp comprising hinged discs, one of which carries a pointed shaft for penetrating material to be engaged and the other of which carries a hollow sleeve for protectively receiving the protruded end portion of the shaft. The invention also contemplates the provision of interengaging means between the shaft and the sleeve to secure the opposed discs in clamping position.

Other and further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the principles of the invention has been selected for exemplification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clamp constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention and shown in folded open position;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the clamp prior to folding;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the clamp engaged in locked position; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the clamp disengaged or in unlocked position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, plates or discs and 12 are carried at opposite ends of a strap 14 having a central portion 15 of reduced thickness to form a fold line whereby to bring the discs 10 and 12 in opposed clamping position.

An inwardly projecting shaft 18 is carried by or integrally formed with the disc 10, preferably at the central portion thereof, and terminates in a material penetrating pointed free end portion 20. The shaft 18, including its pointed end, is preferably substantially rigid. A plurality of outwardly extended wedge like projections 22 or the like are integrally formed or otherwise provided adjacent to but short of the free end portion for a purpose as hereinafter explained.

The opposed plate or disc 12 is centrally apertured as at 24 and carries an outwardly extending hollow tubular sleeve 26 for receiving the projecting free end portion 20 of the shaft 18 when the discs 10 and 12 are pressed together in clamping position. While the shaft 18 and sleeve 26 are illustrated in axial alignment, relative tilting of these members may be necessary to facilitate passage of the projections through the aperture 24. The shaft 18 and protective sleeve 26 may be of any desired length and diameter.

An annular, inwardly extending square cornered flange 28 is provided at the junction of the aperture 24 and the sleeve 26 for receiving the lateral faces of the projections 22 after the end portion 20 of the shaft 18 is thrust through the aperture 24 into the hollow sleeve 26. Such interengaging bearing surfaces 22 and 28 tend to secure the discs 10 and 12 in closed clamping position.

The projections 22 may be relatively rigid yet capable of being forced through the a erture 24 for locking engagement with the flange 28 0 provide a substantially permanent attachment such as when the clamp is employed as an identifying tag attached to the ear of an animal for example, or as a seal tag for freight carriers or the like. However, when desired, the projections 22 may be relatively resilient for disengagement with the flange 28 when the discs 10 and 12 are pulled apart for reuse, such as when the clamp is temporarily used for fastening sheet material such as fabrics or the like, for securing diapers for example, or for attaching other articles such as buttons.

The clamp of the present invention may be integrally formed such as by molding. The material forming the clamp may be of any suitable plastic composition, nylon for example, or metal sheet material, and may be of any strength, rigidity, size or other characteristic suitable for the selected function of its structure.

it is to be understood, accordingly, that the present invention is not confined to the particular device herein illustrated and described but embraces all such modifications thereof as may come within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A clamp which comprises:

a. opposed clamping members;

b. a shaft having a constant diameter formed integrally with one of said clamping members, said shaft having a pointed portion at one end and a plurality of projections adjacent said pointed portion; and

c. a hollow protective sleeve formed integrally with and projecting outwardly of the other of said clamping members, said hollow sleeve being adjacent an aperture in the other of said clamping members to permit insertion of said shaft into said hollow sleeve, said aperture having an abrupt shoulder forming an opening, the diameter of said opening being substantially the diameter of said shaft whereby said shoulder engages said projections to secure said opposed clamping members in clamping position.

2. The clamp of claim 2 wherein the shaft, the sleeve and the interengaging means are substantially rigid.

3. The clamp of claim 2 wherein the opposed clamping members are substantially rigid discs.

4. The clamp of claim 2 wherein the clamping members are carried at opposite end portions of a foldable strap.

5. The clamp of claim 3 wherein the discs are carried at opposite end portions of a foldable strap.

6. The clamp of claim 2 wherein the shaft and the sleeve are substantially rigid.

7. The clamp of claim 2 wherein the clamping members are substantially rigid discs and wherein the discs and their respective shaft and sleeve and interengaging means are integrally formed. 

1. A clamp which comprises: a. opposed clamping members; b. a shaft having a constant diameter formed integrally with one of said clamping members, said shaft having a pointed portion at one end and a plurality of projections adjacent said pointed portion; and c. a hollow protective sleeve formed integrally with and projecting outwardly of the other of said clamping members, said hollow sleeve being adjacent an aperture in the other of said clamping members to permit insertion of said shaft into said hollow sleeve, said aperture having an abrupt shoulder forming an opening, the diameter of said opening being substantially the diameter of said shaft whereby said shoulder engages said projections to secure said opposed clamping members in clamping position.
 2. The clamp of claim 2 wherein the shaft, the sleeve and the interengaging means are substantially rigid.
 3. The clamp of claim 2 wherein the opposed clamping members are substantially rigid discs.
 4. The clamp of claim 2 wherein the clamping members are carried at opposite end portions of a foldable strap.
 5. The clamp of claim 3 wherein the discs are carried at opposite end portions of a foldable strap.
 6. The clamp of claim 2 wherein the shaft and the sleeve are substantially rigid.
 7. The clamp of claim 2 wherein the clamping members are substantially rigid discs and wherein the discs and their respective shaft and sleeve and interengaging means are integrally formed. 